US materials firm Huntsman, in collaboration with safety shoe manufacturer Steitz Secura, has developed what it says is a breakthrough polyurethane (PU) solution that can help improve the circularity of safety footwear. Together, the two companies have created a Daltoped PU midsole system that can incorporate recycled content without compromising performance – setting a new benchmark in protective footwear production.
PU plays a vital role in enhancing comfort and protection in safety shoes – but managing the scrap generated during production can be a challenge. Utilising its footwear innovation capabilities, Huntsman says its latest solution transforms this challenge into an opportunity.
Together with Steitz Secura and an external partner, Huntsman has pioneered a way to introduce recycled PU into new shoe components using its PU system, which requires no changes to existing processing or chemistry workflows.
Crucially, Huntsman’s approach also successfully introduces recycled PU into new shoe components, while maintaining performance on a par with virgin materials, it claims.
Wolfgang Burkhard, Head of PU at Steitz Secura, said: “By taking our own PU scrap and reusing it, we have been able to manufacture new midsoles containing 20% recycled content. Together with Huntsman and a technology partner, we have been working to push up this percentage and can now increase the recycled content of new midsoles up to 30%. It’s a tangible example of our commitment to innovation and sustainability, and to finding smarter, cleaner ways to make high-performance footwear.”
Huntsman furthers that its solution has undergone rigorous development, validation, and industrial-scale trials with Steitz Secura, ensuring that safety, durability, comfort and performance are never compromised – even in the production of premium safety footwear.